Cotton picker doffer



March 20, 1956 D. A. WALKER 2,738,636

COTTON PICKER DOFFER Filed May 12, 1954 v l/VVE/V TOR DELOS A. WALKER A TTOR/VEY United States Patent 2,738,636 COTTON PICKER norrrn Delos A. Walker, Memphis, Tenn., a'sslgnor to International Harvester Company, :a corporation of New Jersey I Application May 12, 1954, Serial No. 429,151

3 Claims. (CI. 56-41) This invention relates to cotton picking machines of a type incorporating a plurality of spindles which are arranged to penetrate the cotton plantsand after removing the cotton therefrom carry the cotton to a dofiing station whereat means are employed for removing cotton from the fingers; the invention being particularly directed to such dofling means.

A general object of the invention is to devise a novel dofiing means which incorporates dofling pads formed and arranged so that they may be removed or applied to an associated carrier structure without the necessity of entirely dismantling the entire doffer assembly.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel doifer which comprises a carrier disk which is adapted to be carried on the shaft of an associated doifer assembly, the disk supporting an annular series of doffer elements which are removably secured thereto.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel yieldable mounting for the doifer elements from the associated carrier plate so that the individual elements may yield under excess pressure which may develop between the carrier and the spindles associated with the doffer such as when the spindles entwine with branches and the like in order to prevent excessive damage of the parts.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the specification and the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a bottom view of the novel dofier with parts broken away and shown in section in order to more clearly illustrate the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1.

A general understanding of the operation of a cotton picker of the dotfer spindle type may be had from U. S. Patent 2,140,631. The dofiing mechanism herein illustrated comprises a vertical shaft 1, which may be rotated by any suitable source of power and which carries a plurality of vertically spaced, circular doifers or carriers (only one of which is shown), generally designated 2, spaced apart in accordacne with the vertical spacing of the associated spindles.

Each doifer comprises a circular plate carrier member 3 which may be formed of steel or plastic material, the plate member having a central bore or opening 4 to receive the doffer shaft 1. It will be understood that the central opening and shaft may be formed with connecting means as shown in the aforesaid U. S. patent. In the present instance the connection between the plate 2 and the shaft 1 is by a key 5 so that the plate-like mounting member is constrained for rotation with the shaft. The axis of the carrier is, of course, the axis of the shaft 1, and the general plane of the carrier is horizontal.

The carrier plate 3 serves as a mounting for a circular or annular ring member 6 which is concentrically disposed with respect to the axis X (Figure 1) of the shaft and the plate and this continuous ring 6 is formed of elastomer 2 material which-is highly yielding, such as sponge rubber, and said ring 6 at its obverse side 7 is seated against the bottom side 8 of .the carrier plate. 3 with the outer periphery 9 of the ring member 6 coincident with the outer periphery 10 of the plate3. The pad 6 servesas a highly yieldable mounting for a pair of complementary semicircular doifer elements 11 which are arranged in end to end relationship concentrically about the axis X indicated in Figure 1, and each element 11 comprises a metallic or a rigid semi-circular flat mounting portion or segment 12 which on its obverse or secondside 13 seats against the reverse side 14 of the elastic ring member or wafer 6. The reverse side 15 of member 12 is connected as by bonding to an elastomer wafer-like semi-annular member 16 to the obverse side 17 thereof, said member 16 being concentric with the axis X and. beingformed of relatively hard rubber and on its reverse or bottom side carrying a series of depending doffer lugs 18 are. integrally formed with the member 16. The doffer elements 11 and the elastic ring member 6 are secured to the carrier by means of a plurality of fasteners or nut and bolt assemblies 20, each fastener comprising a bolt-like member 21 which extends through perforations or registering holes 22, 23, 24 and 25 respectively in the plate 3, the ring 6, the semiannular mounting member 17 and the mounting web 16. One end of the bolt 21 is formed with a head 26 which is countersunk into and engaged with the plate 3 and the opposite end of the bolt is provided with a spring-like fastener element or nut portion 27, which has a portion engaged with grooves 28 in the lower end of the bolt and has a wide bearing portion 29 which engages with the reverse side 30 of the web portion 16.

It will be noted that in the arrangement herein disclosed that the wearable part, that is the dofier elements 11, are in two sections so that on removal of the fasteners these may be readily replaced while the carrier assembly is on the shaft 1. It Will be further observed that in providing the sponge rubber ring 6 a yieldable mounting is provided which in the event of extremely large accumulations developing on the spindles accommodate the dotfer elements flexing away from the spindle within the limits permitted by the compression of the ring 6. It will be also observed that the fasteners are of such nature that they always maintain a tight connection with the remainder of the assembly in view of the structure of the elements 27 which are formed of spring steel and under stress between the web 16 and the end of the bolt.

A further feature of the invention is that the sponge rubber 6 reduces the unit pressure of the doifer lugs against the spindles. Frequently in the field, the operators will set the doifers down as tightly as they possible can against the spindles. This is extremely deleterious in that it not only increases the wear on the doifers but also on the spindles as well as the spindle bearings etc.

It will be understood that the features of the present invention are not restricted in a single embodiment which is not intended by way of limitation and that the scope is to be determined only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cotton picker doffer, comprising: a generally circular carrier plate, a wafer of elastomer readily compressible and expansible material having one side seated against an opposed side of said carrier plate, doffing elements arranged in an annular series against the opposite side of said wafer, and means for securing said elements, said wafer and said carrier plate in assembled relationship and accommodating movement of said elements toward and away from said carrier plate attendant to compressionand expansion of said wafer and for preventing relative movement between said elements, wafer and carrier plate circumferentially of the latter, said wafer having substantial thickness and accommodating floating action and universal angling of said elements relative to said carrier plate, and said elements comprising a pair of complemental semi-circular rigid mounting plate segments complementally forming an endless ring concentric with said carrier plate and seated at one side directly against said wafer, a rubber mounting web bonded on the opposite side of each segment and circumferentially and radially substantially coextensive therewith and a plurality of axially extending rubber lugs integral with said web and spaced circumferentially thereof.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and said securing means comprising a plurality of registering holes in said carrier plate, wafer, segments and webs and bolts extending through the registering holes, and fastening means connected to said bolts and yieldable axially of said carrier plate attendant to compression and expansion of said wafer to provide a slack-free connection.

3. A cotton picker doffer, comprising: a substantially rigid carrier having an axis of rotation, an annular rubber clement concentric with said axis and having one side disposed in axially opposing relationship to said carrier and seated thereagainst and having a second side facing away from the carrier, means connecting said element with said carrier at a plurality of circumferentially spaced points, doffing means connected to said element and said carrier and including substantially rigid means seated against said second side of said element and having a plurality of rubber doffing lugs arranged in an annular series about said axis and extending away from said element, and said element formed and arranged to accommodate universal canting of rigid means with said lugs and isolating said lugs from said carrier and having substantial flexibility axially of said carrier so as to readily deflect under axial loading of the lugs in a direction toward said carrier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,619,784 Paradise Dec. 2, 1952 2,654,203 Parkerton Oct. 6, 1953 2,688,225 Morkoski et al Sept. 7, 1954 

